Ace in the Hole
by Gertrude-04
Summary: After Jean's death at Alkali Lake, many of the responsibilities of the school fall onto Ororo's shoulders. She calls up an old Cajun friend for some much needed help.


A/N: This is my version of what happens after X:2. It's basically an introduction to my favourite character, I think you can all guess who that is at this point. As always, I crave feedback. Whether you love it, or hate it, please let me know!

P.S. An update is in the works for nearly all my other writing, it's just a matter of coming up with some new stuff.

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"I'm afraid we're going to need some help."

Ororo Munroe winces, carefully sets down her hand-painted Royal Dolton teacup onto the matching saucer waiting on the mahogany desk top before her. She has been dreading these very words for the past week, and while hearing them brings about a sort of relief, she feels her already tense shoulders tightening another quarter of a turn. While in the long run, bringing another body into the mansion will take some of the load off her back, it will require more work in the immediate future.

She nods reluctantly, and meets Professor Xavier's eyes. "I thought it might come to this." She says nothing about how difficult it will be to find someone suitable to teach the children, who will also be willing and capable to keep their secret. She doesn't mention that there isn't exactly a waiting list of applicants for Professor Xavier's School For the Gifted; people don't know anything for sure, but rumours always circulate in the best of circumstances. She doesn't speak of these things because she knows he has already considered them. "Have you anyone in mind?"

He shakes his head, slumps in his chair a little bit, and Ororo wishes she hadn't asked. As hard as this time is on her, she knows it is exponentially worse on the Professor.

"There are a great many candidates I'd like to approach, but none that I would trust with the responsibility of the children's safety. In light of past events, I would rather their education suffer than put them through another similar ordeal."

Ororo nods slowly. She understands why he would be somewhat reluctant to make the first step. When William Stryker's men attacked the mansion, he not only attacked the children that the Professor had been entrusted to protect, he had also violated the man's home. She can't blame Charles for being wary of bringing in someone new. Consequently, they can't wait forever for the perfect substitute for Jean, because in all honesty, one does not exist. They will have to make due.

"Kurt has been sacrificing a lot of his free time to help the children, but he has no formal education. There's only so much he can do."

She'd been privately surprised at the changes evident in the German mutant. As easily as she fell into a friendly rhythm with him, she expected there to be some difficulties in his assimilation to their tightly knit group. It seems she did not give the children enough credit, though. With a few minor exceptions, they took to him quicker than they had her when she first came to the mansion. Kurt possesses a strange element, one that she couldn't even begin to identify, that people just seem to appreciate, once they got past his obvious mutantcy.

The Professor nods slowly. "Yes, he is a great asset to the school, but unfortunately, we are limited in what he can do. His ease with the children has been a godsend, though. I haven't been able to spend as much time with them as I would like."

Ororo doesn't know if he is purposely skirting around the seriousness of the issue, or if he just has not had a chance to consider it from every angle. With Jean gone, and Scott unable to teach, they are sorely lacking for suitable instructors. The parents of students who know exactly what the school is have extremely understood, but Ororo knows that ultimately, they have to keep their child's education at the forefront of their mind. Being understanding will not give their children what they need. They have to find replacement teachers, and they need to do so quickly.

"I'll do what I can, Professor," she says, even though at this point, she's not quite sure what it means. She stands up, because she only has thirty minutes before she relieves Hank in the great room, and she wants to check in with Scott before that.

The Professor trails her to the door, and when she reaches out to turn the doorknob, he grabs her hand instead, and holds it tightly between his own.

"I realise that these times are just as difficult for you as they are for any one else, and I want to make sure you know how grateful I am for your strength."

Ororo feels her eyebrows rise, nearly disappearing beneath her hairline. Although she never believed she was being taken advantage of, she never would've expected a thank you for her efforts. To leave now would be to leave her family when they needed her the most, and that was not something she would do. Doing anything less than she had been was not an option.

She smiles, and is surprised to feel tears coming to her eyes. "I do know, Professor," she says, and because she has never been entirely comfortable with strong emotions, she disengages her hand from his and exits his study.

Ororo takes the west stairwell to the second floor, even though it's altogether a farther trip, because she knows its seldom used by the students. She doesn't want to avoid them, but on the other hand, she doesn't want them to see her weak and teary-eyed.

Scott and Jean shared a room at the far end of the east hall, but Ororo knows this is not where she will find her friend now. Unable to face the reminders of their life together, Scott has taken up residence in a spare room, on the complete opposite side of the building.

She composes herself behind her unaffected façade before knocking lightly on the door. As she expected, there's no answer. In the days following Jean's death, Scott has withdrawn into himself in a way that Ororo would not think possible. He spends most of his days sleeping, as though the stress of being awake and remembering is too much for his fragile psyche. He eats only when there is someone standing over him, making sure he doesn't lose interest half way through. She can't be sure, but Ororo is almost certain he hasn't worked out since before Alkali Lake, and for Scott, that is quite a stretch.

"Scott? It's Ororo. I'm coming in."

She gives him a few seconds to respond, and when he doesn't, she opens the door and slips inside. The lights are out, the curtains are drawn, and it takes her eyes a moment to adjust to the near night conditions. His room is a severe state of disarray. There are clothes lying in heaps all around the place, although she's quite certain he hasn't changed in days. Trays of forgotten food have stacked up on his dresser, and the room has a faint smell of disuse.

Ororo wrinkles her nose, and takes a step towards the lump on the bed she assumes is Scott. On her way by, she lifts the precariously stacked trays of uneaten food, and sets them by the doorway so she won't forget them on her way out.

"Scott? Are you asleep?"

She kneels on the bed, and reaches out to poke the comforter covered lump.

"Uhhhhh….."

The muffled sound that issues forth from beneath the blanket is unrecognizable as Scott, but that doesn't surprise Ororo one bit. Nearly everything he has done since losing Jean is so uncharacteristic of him that if she had not stood by watching it happen, she would not believe it herself.

"Scott, have you eaten yet today? Would you like me to get you something?"

"'m not hungry." His words are muffled, but it is definitely his voice, nixing her belief that maybe one of the caretaker's Great Danes had weaselled its way into the mansion.

"Well, you have to eat something. I'm sure I could get Mrs. Norman to whip you up some chicken noodle soup."

Mrs. Norman, the resident cook, lives in the mansion, but is very specific about her hours of work. Unless a sudden emergency requiring her services was required, she usually could be found holed up in her room, reading grocery store romance novels. That being said, Ororo was certain this counted as one of those sudden emergencies, and was confident she could rouse Mrs. Norman from her world of make believe.

"I lost my wife, Ororo," Scott replies, and this time his tone was clear as crystal. "I don't have the flu."

Ororo has to shut her eyes against the abrupt flash of anger that ran through her. Scott had not only lost a wife, but a part of himself that he could never get back. It is only natural that he wants to take his hurt out on somebody else. But Ororo has lost somebody too. Her best friend, the first person on the face of the earth who had not shied away after learning of her less than ideal childhood. Jean had been kind, considerate, honest, and just plain _fun _in a way that before meeting her, Ororo hadn't known existed. Of course, her sense of loss isn't comparable to Scott's, but she nonetheless wishes that he would realize that he is not the only one in pain.

"Very well. I'll have Hank drop by to check on you later."

She doesn't bother to wait around for the response that she knows isn't going to come. Despite her earlier preparations, she leaves the stack of dirty dishes by the door, confident that Hank will not be as selfish, and will carry them to the kitchen.

She closes the door gently behind her, and nearly runs into Logan when she whirls around to make her escape.

"Whoa, easy there, Storm," he says, reaching out with demin covered arms to steady her. Despite her repeated insistence that he address her by her given him, he continues to use the code name as though she had never said anything. The Professor believes this is Logan's way of separating himself from everyone else, in case he needs to pack up and leave again. Ororo is not so sure. She thinks Logan simply enjoys pushing her buttons, as he seems to everyone else in the mansion.

"Where's the fire?"

When her only response is an exasperated shake of her head, Logan looks closer. He sees the white beginning to encroach on the chocolate brown of her eyes. He smells the salt in the tears gathering in her eyes. And just like that, his own blue eyes flash with anger.

"Did Fearless say something to you again?"

He gently pushes Ororo aside, and reaches for the doorknob. It is not the first time he has run into her outside Scott's room like this, and it is far unlikely to be the last. Logan seems to have appointed himself her keeper in the last few days. He apparently finds some small amount of joy in asking after her sleep and eating habits. He has also taken to "defending her honour" should anyone even think of speaking against her.

She reaches out and snags his wrist before he can grasp the knob. "Logan, don't. He doesn't realize what he's saying. He's lost a part of himself."

"People lose spouses everyday. That don't mean they can get away with being assholes." Either Logan has never lost someone he loved more than himself, or he just simply doesn't remember. He is unable or unwillingly to give Scott any sliver of sympathy, which Ororo finds incredible given the situation. He of all people should know how strong Scott and Jean's bond was.

"They were different. They bonded psychically. They were in each other's heads every day and every night. A person can't lose something like that and then go on like everything's fine."

She pulls gently on Logan's wrist before he can argue further, and he follows her reluctantly like she knew he would. "How are the repairs coming?"

"They're not." He answers frankly, again like she knew he would. "There's too much work for one person. Those bastards really did a number on the place."

A pair of children appear at the end of the hallway, each carrying a number of heavy text books under their arms. Ororo knows with very little doubt that they are returning from a Hank McCoy lecture. They cast suspicious yet wary glances at both her and Logan before scurrying past and disappearing into their dorm room at the end of the hallway.

Ororo looks up and is surprised to se Logan watching after the children as well. There's a look of subtle melancholy on his face, as though he longs for a time that is past, or something he once had but no longer does.

"We need to do something," he says, head still turned in the direction the children were walking. "These kids deserve better than this."

Ororo says nothing. She agrees completely. They do deserve better, and although both her and Logan are in a position to do something about it, that does not mean it will be easy. They need to find a replacement teacher, and they need to repair their home. Anything less is unacceptable.


End file.
